Wednesday, 27 June 2012

We’re excited to announce that Theatre Ontario Festival 2013 will be traveling to Kingston and the home of Domino Theatre—our first Festival in this historic Ontario city in almost thirty years.

Theatre Ontario Festival will open on Wednesday, May 15, and run until Sunday, May 19. Co-hosted in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Drama League and Kingston’s Domino Theatre, Theatre Ontario Festival is a celebration of community theatre, featuring a showcase of outstanding productions, with adjudications, workshops, and collaboration among theatre lovers from across the province.

We also still have spaces available for Theatre Ontario members in our free Financial Literacy workshop. This session will provide information for self-employed artists on setting financial goals, managing on a low and erratic income, making a spending plan, and much more. For more information, please visit Financial Literacy for Artists on the Theatre Ontario website

Puppetmongers’ Advanced School of Puppetry Intensive begins today in Toronto

Today is also the deadline for Native Earth Performing Arts’ Weesageechak Begins To Dance XXV

Lower Ossington Theatre in Toronto is inviting submissions for cabaret-style performance for this summer; deadline is Wednesday, June 20

New on The Bulletin Board

Acting Up Stage Company has unveiled the Syd and Shirley Banks Prize For Emerging Musical Theatre Artists—recognizing two under-exposed musical theatre artists under 30 with a cash prize, a performance/cabaret opportunity, a featured concert role, production access, and much more—submission deadline is July 13

The Cultural Human Resources Council is presenting the inaugural DUX Award for an Outstanding Mentor; nomination deadline is July 13

Thursday, 14 June 2012

Are you a high school or university student seeking a “summer experience” with a theatre service organization? We have an employment opportunity for you.

Theatre Ontario is looking to hire an Education Assistant to work with our Education Coordinator in preparation of our annual summer theatre courses. This is a 7-week program paying $10.25 an hour starting July 3, 2012 and finishing August 24, 2012. In order to apply you must be currently enrolled in a Secondary School or Post-Secondary School have just graduated (within six months.) Age requirements are from 15 - 24 (up to 29 for persons with a disability.)

This is a Summer Experience Program funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Theatre Ontario has an office to sublet. We share a large office space with Playwrights Guild of Canada (PGC) and Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) in the Robertson Building at 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto.

We have one office to sublet that can fit two workstations (12x8). The space is $600.00 a month and is available August 1st. As part of the sublet, you will have access to a kitchen, boardroom, postage machine and photocopier (postage and copying fees apply.)

If you are interested in this space, please contact Carol Beauchamp, Executive Director, Theatre Ontario at 416-408-4556 x.11 or e-mail carol@theatreontario.org

Each season, the Shaw Festival hires two Intern Directors. They look for promising professional directors at a point in their career where an extended residency with a company like the Shaw Festival will be of benefit to their professional development. Applicants should have a good amount of professional experience but will not have had an opportunity to work on the scale of production that is characteristic of the Shaw Festival. The contract can start as early as mid-February or as late as mid-March and generally runs through September, depending on the production schedule for the particular season.

Since its inception in 1988, the project has been sponsored annually by Sun Life Financial and Theatre Ontario. The application deadline for the 2013 Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival is June 29, 2012 at 5pm.

And more congratulations to Richard Rose, Tarragon’s Artistic Director who received the Barbara Hamilton Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts from the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA)

Congrats also to Ruth Howard, founding Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre, who received the George Luscombe Award for Mentorship from TAPA

And last but not least, congratulations to Leslie Lester, Executive Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, recipients of TAPA’s Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Arts Administrators

Thursday, 7 June 2012

“Dave Carley is a vital and valued member of Ontario’s theatrical community.”“As an emerging artist, I need people to look up to, people to help me, and Dave Carley has been incredibly supportive, both in his class and beyond.”“I know I speak for many other playwrights when I say that Dave Carley’s support and encouragement help to keep me going in this unpredictable and insecure field.”

“Our community is much richer because Dave Carley is in it.”

We are thrilled to announce that Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award for 2012 shall be presented to Dave Carley. The award, for a sustained and significant contribution by an individual to the development of theatre in Ontario, recognizes Dave’s generosity, mentorship, and artistic and professional achievements.

“Once again, we were impressed by the very high calibre of the nominations for this year’s Maggie Bassett Award,” said Leonard McHardy, Chair of the Award Jury. “The nomination for Dave Carley stood out for many reasons, but particularly for the passionate words of support from the many people whom he has touched as an artist, and inspired as a teacher. Dave’s selfless contribution to theatre in communities across Ontario won the unanimous support of the Jury, and we are sure Maggie would applaud this recognition.”

Dave Carley is a Peterborough-born and raised, Toronto-based playwright. He has created a body of work that “speaks to and for Ontarians,” with world premieres in Toronto, Ottawa, Blyth, Hamilton, London, Brampton, Picton, Fergus, and (of course) Peterborough. He has had over four hundred productions across Canada, the United States, and in many countries around the world. Some of his works include Writing with our Feet, After You, The Edible Woman, Taking Liberties, and Walking On Water. He has been nominated for Chalmers Awards, Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and Governor General’s Literary Awards, and his body of work was recognized with the prestigious Arthur Miller Playwriting Award. He was the former editor at the Playwrights Union of Canada (now Playwrights Guild of Canada), Play Editor for Scirocco Drama, and Playwright-in-Residence at both the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the Shaw Festival. He served on the Board of Cahoots Theatre Company, and is described as “invaluable” in the formation of Peterborough’s New Stages Theatre Company.

His first exposure to theatre was at the Peterborough Theatre Guild, which premiered his musical Susanna. He remains a keen supporter of community and educational theatre, encouraging young playwrights to get involved with amateur groups and see plays at the community level, and he is—as Glenda MacFarlane, one of his nominators, observed—“as keenly interested in a high school production of one of his plays as if it was being performed Off-Broadway!” His legacy as a mentor has been praised by both playwrights and playwriting teachers for his skill in giving feedback to emerging playwrights while supporting their distinctive voices.

The award will be presented to Dave on October 22nd in Mississauga at Playwrights Guild of Canada’s annual awards event. “We’re very excited to be able to host the presentation of Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award and share in this celebration of a playwright who has contributed so significantly to theatre in Ontario,” said Robin Sokoloski, Executive Director of Playwrights Guild of Canada.

“I feel very honoured to receive this award,” said Dave. “I have always been deeply grateful for the many artists who have encouraged my own development over the years, including two seminal figures at the very start of my journey—Robert Weaver and Margaret Laurence. One of the great pleasures of my subsequent career in stage and radio drama has been working with other theatre artists and, whenever possible, encouraging them to persevere in bringing their own acts of imagination to the page, stage and airwaves.”

Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award is presented to an individual who, over a number of years, has made a sustained and significant contribution to the development of theatre in Ontario. As Theatre Ontario’s first employee, the late Maggie Bassett created a solid foundation for the organization by launching the Professional Theatre Training Program, Summer Courses, and the newsletter. Her love for the arts held no barriers between community, professional or educational theatre. Maggie was also a fine director and actress and performed at Tarragon Theatre, Huron County Playhouse, and at the Alumnae Theatre. For many years, she attended all regional festivals. She was known for her warmth, humour, sparkle and the sincere encouragement she bestowed on those around her. This award is for dedication to theatre beyond the call of duty. The award is a stunning bronze statuette entitled “COURAGE”, designed by Rita Tuckett and sculpted by Ronald Thom.

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

As a very busy spring rapidly comes to a close, and the summer approaches, I wanted to take the time to give my sincere thanks to the outgoing Board of Theatre Ontario, and to welcome the new Board that was elected at our Annual General Meeting on May 26th.

It is with sincere gratitude that I thank our outgoing Board for their energy and commitment to Theatre Ontario. Theatre Ontario’s strength comes from the passion and engagement of its members, and the support that our dedicated and enthusiastic Board of Directors gives to our staff.

I would like to thank Julianne Snepsts who has so willingly given of her leadership and insights to the Board for over eight years – three years of which as our President, and I am so delighted that she will continue to be active on the Board for another year as our Past President. Julianne has managed to juggle a young family and a busy career, and I know that the Festival Players of Prince Edward County in Picton are benefitting from her creativity and professionalism as she immerses herself in the role of General Manager.

Other busy Board members who have shared their wisdom and expertise with our Board are: Chris Scholey, our incredibly hard working former Treasurer who went above and beyond; Andy Trasuk, who commuted from Cornwall to attend all our meetings; Brian Van Norman, whose wisdom we missed when he retired and embarked on a world cruise; Debra McLauchlan, whose commitment to Theatre Ontario continues as she serves on the Jury for the Youth Theatre Training Program; Emma MacKenzie-Hillier, who gave unstintingly of her time even with her very hectic professional schedule; Mike Grit, whose insightful analysis was always astute; and Angela Rebeiro who brought a wealth of theatrical and publishing knowledge.

I am delighted to welcome our 2012/13 Board of Directors who are already busy working on a number of projects over the summer months: new members Elley-Ray Hennessy, an award-winning actress, writer, director and producer; and Renna Reddie, Artistic Producer of the Carlos Bulosan Theatre; and returning members Ken Stephen, former Michael Spence Award recipient for sustained contribution to community theatre; Tabitha Keast, an active actor and copy editor; Deb Sholdice, General Manager of Blyth Theatre; Dr. Barry Freeman, Assistant Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto—Scarborough Campus; Helen Landry, representing the QUONTA drama region in the north; Brenda Barr-Worsnop, representing the Eastern Ontario Drama League; John Goddard, retired arts administrator and passionate theatre aficionado; Mark Mooney, representing the Western Ontario Drama League; Julianne Snepsts General Manager of the Festival Players in Picton; and last, but not least, Cam Lund, our new President!

Cam brings a wonderfully collaborative approach to the role of Board President with over twenty years senior management experience in banking and telecommunications and a complimentary experience in community theatre as an actor, group president, and President of the Association of Community Theatres of Central Ontario (ACT-CO). Cam has a wealth of experience in creating innovative collaborative partnerships, and I know he is looking forward to helping Theatre Ontario grow and develop as we implement our strategic plan with the able assistance of our new Board.

A big thank you once again to our past and current Board of Directors! Thank you – we couldn’t do it without you!

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP). $23,100 was awarded in total among the following recipients:

Theatre Ontario is pleased to introduce a new, free workshop “Financial Literacy for Theatre Artists” running on July 26 in Toronto. Artists provide a valuable service to our communities, yet according to StatsCan artists are among the lowest income earners in Canada. Learning some basic skills will enable you to take control of your finances and make the best possible money decisions.

Join us for this session to discuss what self-employed artists should know about:

Setting Financial Goals

Managing on a Low and Erratic Income

Making a Spending Plan

Dealing with Debt

All About Credit including Credit Cards

Smart Banking

Planning for Retirement

This session will be led by Tessa-Marie Schillingford. Tessa-Marie is the author of Controlling the Debt Monster. She is a Personal Financial Planner with a designation from the Institute of Canadian Bankers and is also a certified Financial Counsellor by the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

Monday, 4 June 2012

In Southwestern Ontario
Jun. 7, Key For Two at Elgin Theatre Guild (St. Thomas)
Jun. 8, Arsenic And Old Lace at London Community Players
Jun. 9, The Wizard Of Oz at Drayton Entertainment: Huron County Playhouse (Grand Bend) with previews from Jun. 5
Jun. 10, His Girl Friday at Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake) in previews

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About Theatre Ontario

Serving Ontario's Theatre community since 1971, Theatre Ontario develops and supports theatre practitioners across the province, by providing resources, networking, training and advocacy. To access our services, become a member, or donate to support our work, visit the Theatre Ontario website